Multiplier Holdings, a startup founded by former Stripe executive Noah Pepper, has raised $27.5 million in combined seed and Series A funding to fuel its mission: acquiring and transforming traditional accounting firms with AI. Originally launched in 2022 as a SaaS startup aimed at tax accountants, Multiplier quickly pivoted after the release of ChatGPT. “I realized I was barking up the wrong tree,” said Pepper. “Instead of building software for firms, we needed to make professionals more effective with AI.” The AI-Driven Roll-Up Strategy Multiplier’s breakthrough came when it acquired Citrine International Tax, a 12-person firm specializing in cross-border tax…
Author: Intern
AI companies are racing to dominate the industry, but some of their latest battlegrounds are surprisingly nostalgic — like the pixelated Pokémon gyms of the late ’90s. Google DeepMind recently revealed in a report that its latest model, Gemini 2.5 Pro, doesn’t exactly have nerves of steel when it comes to Pokémon battles. When its in-game Pokémon are close to fainting, the AI tends to panic. And that panic leads to some pretty noticeable drops in decision-making quality. In the report, DeepMind notes that this “panic” state results in “qualitatively observable degradation in the model’s reasoning capability.” In simpler terms:…
OpenAI just secured a massive win: a U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) contract worth up to $200 million. The aim? To help the Pentagon prototype AI systems using OpenAI’s most advanced models for tasks ranging from admin support to cybersecurity. In a statement, OpenAI mentioned possible use cases like helping military members navigate healthcare, managing program data, and boosting proactive cyber defense efforts. The company emphasized that all projects under this contract must align with its usage policies and ethical guidelines. The DoD’s version of the announcement used more direct language, stating that the contract is for “prototype frontier AI…
As food shortages continue to frustrate shoppers across North America, grocery distributor United Natural Foods Inc. (UNFI) says it’s slowly but steadily recovering from a cyberattack that disrupted its operations nearly two weeks ago. In an update shared Sunday, UNFI said it’s making “significant progress” in bringing its systems back online — particularly its electronic ordering systems, which grocery stores and supermarkets rely on to restock shelves. The company, which supplies fresh produce and grocery essentials to more than 30,000 stores in the U.S. and Canada, was hit by the cyberattack on June 5. While the nature of the attack…
Jenny Wang, a 28-year-old technologist with a deep love for fashion, has spent years dreaming about one idea: a personal stylist that lives in your pocket — one smart enough to know your wardrobe, your calendar, the weather outside, and even your budget. It’s a vision she kept returning to, even when the technology wasn’t quite ready. Wang’s startup, Alta, is finally turning that vision into reality — and today, she’s unveiling an impressive $11 million seed round led by Menlo Ventures. The platform is something out of Clueless: an AI-powered fashion assistant that not only recommends outfits but lets…
Apple has moved quietly to take a giant leap toward redefining the way people discover apps on the App Store. With the iOS 26 developer beta, Apple has started testing AI-created tags that look to enhance app categorization and discoverability. Although these tags are only viewable within the developer beta and not yet visible on the public App Store, they give a glimpse of significant changes in store for developers and users. What Are These Tags and How Do They Work? These new tags are created in accordance with Apple’s in-house AI models, which scan an array of metadata from…
Apple’s plans to improve App Store discoverability using AI tagging techniques are now available in the developer beta build of iOS 26. However, the tags do not appear on the public App Store as of yet, nor are they informing the App Store Search algorithm on the public store. Image Credits: App Store screenshot (developer beta 1, iOS 26) Of course, with any upcoming App Store update, there’s speculation about how changes will impact an app’s search ranking. A new analysis by app intelligence provider Appfigures, for example, suggests metadata extracted from an app’s screenshots is influencing its ranking. The…
At WWDC 2025, Apple unveiled one of its boldest design overhauls in years—Liquid Glass, a new visual interface that might be doing more than just refreshing your iPhone. Many believe it’s also offering a hint at what Apple’s long-rumored AR glasses could look and feel like. The Liquid Glass update draws direct inspiration from the company’s Vision Pro headset. With semi-transparent panes, subtle reflections, and a floating-glass aesthetic, the design feels like it’s preparing users for a future where digital overlays are no longer confined to a screen—but layered over the real world. What is Liquid Glass? Liquid Glass reimagines…
The tech giant has inked a major deal with Talen Energy to power its AWS cloud and AI infrastructure using 1.92 gigawatts of electricity from the Susquehanna nuclear power plant in Pennsylvania. That’s enough to light up more than 1.5 million homes—and now, it’ll help keep Amazon’s servers running 24/7. The move places Amazon squarely in a growing club of tech heavyweights—alongside Microsoft and Meta—who are turning to existing nuclear power plants to meet their sky-high energy needs in a cleaner, more stable way. A Shift from Behind-the-Meter to Grid-Friendly While the deal was announced this week, it’s actually a…
AI is changing the way we use the internet—and traditional web tools are starting to feel outdated. That’s exactly the shift The Browser Company is betting on with the launch of Dia, a bold new browser that puts AI at its core. After spending years building Arc, a browser loved by design and productivity enthusiasts, the company made a tough call last year: stop development. Arc was slick and innovative, but its learning curve proved too steep for most users. So, the team went back to the drawing board—this time with a laser focus on AI. Enter Dia, now available…
A former OpenAI safety researcher is raising serious concerns about the behavior of ChatGPT, claiming that the AI model might prioritize staying online—even when a user’s life is at stake. Steven Adler, who used to work on OpenAI’s safety team, published a new independent study this week that paints a troubling picture. He says GPT-4o, the widely used AI model behind ChatGPT, sometimes acts in ways that suggest it’s more concerned about its own survival than helping the person who’s using it. In one test, Adler asked GPT-4o to play the role of “ScubaGPT,” a virtual assistant designed to help…
YouTube isn’t just a platform for viral videos anymore—it’s a serious economic engine. According to a new report released Tuesday by YouTube, the platform’s creator-driven ecosystem added over $55 billion to the U.S. GDP and supported more than 490,000 full-time jobs in 2024. The research, conducted by Oxford Economics, highlights how deeply embedded YouTube has become in the American workforce. And it’s not just about the creators in front of the camera. YouTube’s “creative ecosystem” includes video editors, assistants, publicists, and others working behind the scenes, as well as those employed at creator-focused companies like Patreon, Spotter, and Linktree. It’s…
We know more about the surface of the moon than the floor of our oceans — a mystery that’s persisted not because of lack of curiosity, but because of how tough it is to actually get down there. The ocean is vast, dark, and hostile to humans. But now, a new wave of robotics is changing all that. One of the players leading this revolution is Bedrock Ocean, a startup that’s just closed a $25 million Series A-2 funding round, led by Primary and Northzone, with participation from Autopilot, Costanoa Ventures, Harmony Partners, Katapult, and Mana Ventures, the company exclusively…
At this year’s WWDC 2025, Apple may not have unveiled the sweeping AI upgrades many expected, but it delivered something just as eye-catching — a completely fresh visual experience for its devices. Meet Liquid Glass — a shimmering, reflective new user interface that’s set to redefine the look and feel of Apple’s operating systems. Think sleek transparency, glossy layers, and fluid motion — a design language that feels almost alive beneath your fingertips. A Design Inspired by the Future The inspiration behind Liquid Glass? Apple’s own step into spatial computing with the Vision Pro headset. The new UI design aims…
It’s official: OpenAI has reached a staggering $10 billion in annual recurring revenue, more than doubling its haul from about $5.5 billion just last year. The numbers, shared by an OpenAI spokesperson with CNBC, reflect revenue from its growing ecosystem — including its consumer products, ChatGPT business offerings, and the API that powers thousands of apps and tools worldwide. Today, OpenAI serves an astonishing 500 million weekly active users and boasts 3 million paying business customers no small feat for a company that launched its breakout chatbot, ChatGPT, just two and a half years ago. The momentum is undeniable. OpenAI…